--- title: Maryland Board of Public Works Approves $21 Million for Rural Legacy Grants canonical: https://marylandfeed.com/maryland-board-of-public-works-approves-21-million-for-rural-legacy-grants/ published: '2026-10-29T14:21:47-04:00' updated: '2026-10-29T14:21:47-04:00' author: MarylandFeed Staff section: Natural Resources tags: - Board of Public Works - Natural Resources - Wildlife - Farming - Governor - State Parks source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources source_url: https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2026/10/29/board-of-public-works-approves-21-million-for-2027-rural-legacy-grant-awards-4-6-million-for-park-upgrades-and-land-conservation-in-nine-counties/ publisher: MarylandFeed attribution: Copyright MarylandFeed. Quote with credit to MarylandFeed and a link to the canonical URL above. --- # Maryland Board of Public Works Approves $21 Million for Rural Legacy Grants The Board of Public Works approved $21 million in fiscal year 2027 for Rural Legacy grant awards for 19 Rural Legacy Areas across Maryland on October 29, 2026. The funding will be used to purchase conservation easements to protect more than 4,240 acres of working farms, forests, and wildlife habitat throughout the state. Additionally, the board approved over $4.6 million in grants for park upgrades and land conservation in nine counties, including Carroll, Dorchester, and Frederick. Individual grant disbursements will be presented to the board for approval at a later date. --- ### Press Release: Maryland Department of Natural Resources *Published October 29, 2026. Reproduced in full from the [Maryland Department of Natural Resources](https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2026/10/29/board-of-public-works-approves-21-million-for-2027-rural-legacy-grant-awards-4-6-million-for-park-upgrades-and-land-conservation-in-nine-counties/).* #### Board of Public Works Approves $21 Million for 2027 Rural Legacy Grant Awards, $4.6 Million for Park Upgrades and Land Conservation in Nine Counties The Board approved $4.12 million for a DNR land acquisition of 2,188 acres in Somerset County, which the Maryland Forest Service will manage as part of Chesapeake Forest Lands. Maryland DNR photo. The Board of Public Works today approved $21 million in fiscal year 2027 for Rural Legacy grant awards for 19 Rural Legacy Areas across every region of Maryland. The grant awards are a combination of current funds and unspent funds from prior years. The funding will be used to purchase conservation easements to permanently protect more than 4,240 acres of working farms and forests, shorelines, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and cultural resources throughout the state. Individual grant disbursements will come before the board for approval at a later date. Additionally, the board approved expanding the geographic boundaries of three existing Rural Legacy Areas. These are the Upper Patapsco Rural Legacy Area in Carroll County, the Manor Rural Legacy Area in Baltimore County, and the Carrollton Manor Rural Legacy Area in Frederick County. The board also approved more than $4.6 million in grants from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to local governments and land trusts for park amenities and land conservation in Carroll, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s and Washington counties. About $4 million in [Program Open Space, Local](https://dnr.maryland.gov/land/pages/programopenspace/home.aspx) funding was approved for 14 projects. Old National Pike Park in Frederick County will use funding to add amenities such as picnic shelters, basketball, tennis, and pickleball courts, playground equipment, hiker-biker trails, landscaping, roads, and parking areas. Other funded projects include: - A pavilion replacement at Piney Run Park in Sykesville in Carroll County - Acquisition of 17 acres of parkland that adjoins the Oakington Peninsula Park System in Havre de Grace in Harford County - A new dog play area at Shafer Park in Boonsboro (Washington County). Also approved was $19,000 from the Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure Program to fund Garrett County projects at Grantsville Town Park to repair a walkway and at the Deer Park Community Center to fund new benches. This program was funded in FY 2022 and FY 2023 to provide grant funds primarily to local governments for park and recreation projects. In addition to Rural Legacy Program grants funding and expansion, the Board approved $576,000 of [Rural Legacy](https://dnr.maryland.gov/land/pages/rurallegacy/home.aspx) program funding for two permanent conservation easement acquisitions. In partnership with The Conservation Fund DNR will acquire an 85-acre easement in the [Harriet Tubman Rural Legacy Area](https://dnr.maryland.gov/land/Documents/RuralLegacy/HarrietTubman_rla.pdf) in Dorchester County. The easement will protect farmland, woodlands and wetlands, as well as 1,800 feet of buffers along the Transquaking River in the Nanticoke River watershed and scenic views along Bestpitch Ferry Road. The Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development, Inc., was funded for a conservation easement in the [Mattapany Rural Legacy Area](https://dnr.maryland.gov/land/documents/rurallegacy/mattapany_rla.pdf) in St. Mary’s County. This conservation easement will preserve 27 acres of agricultural and forested land, as well as shoreline on Breton Bay in the Potomac River watershed, and scenic views along Breton Beach Road. In addition, the Board approved [Program Open Space, Stateside](https://dnr.maryland.gov/land/Pages/ProgramOpenSpace/Program-Open-Space-Stateside.aspx) funds of $4.12 million for a DNR land acquisition of 2,188 acres in Somerset County. This forested land is adjacent to multiple Chesapeake Forest parcels and supports Forest Interior Dwelling Species (FIDS) habitat. Consisting of 24 contiguous parcels, this property includes a long reach of Politts Branch, a tributary to Dividing Creek and the Pocomoke River, all of which are high-quality coastal plain streams that support diverse fish and invertebrate populations. The Maryland Forest Service will manage this tract as part of Chesapeake Forest Lands, which include working forests producing sustainable forest products and providing outdoor recreational opportunities, helping to maintain the local resource-based economy. More detailed information on these and other items is available in the [Board of Public Works October 29, 2026 meeting agenda](https://bpw.maryland.gov/MeetingDocs/2026-Oct-29-Agenda.pdf). The three-member Board of Public Works is composed of Governor Wes Moore, Treasurer Dereck E. Davis and Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman. ***Information about these Maryland recreation and land conservation programs, primarily funded with dedicated revenue from the state property transfer tax for these purposes, is below:*** [Program Open Space, Stateside](https://dnr.maryland.gov/land/Pages/ProgramOpenSpace/Program-Open-Space-Stateside.aspx) preserves natural areas for public recreation and watershed and wildlife protection across Maryland through fee simple and conservation easement acquisitions. Fee simple acquisitions are managed by the department as state parks, forests, and wildlife and fisheries management areas. [Program Open Space, Local](https://dnr.maryland.gov/land/pages/programopenspace/home.aspx) provides funding for county and municipal governments for the planning, acquisition, and development of recreational land or facilities. Funds are allocated annually to every county and Baltimore City and projects funded are determined by the local government. Established under the Department of Natural Resources in 1969, Program Open Space, along with other state land conservation programs, symbolizes Maryland’s long-term commitment to conserving our natural resources while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities for all citizens. The [Rural Legacy Program](https://dnr.maryland.gov/land/pages/rurallegacy/home.aspx), created in 1997, conserves large working landscapes across 36 locally designated areas throughout Maryland. The Rural Legacy Program, along with the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, have earned the State of Maryland national recognition from the American Farmland Trust. More news on funding approved for Program Open Space, Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure, Community Parks and Playgrounds, Greenspace Equity, Rural Legacy, and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Permanent Easement programs is available on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ [Land News](https://dnr.maryland.gov/land/Pages/default.aspx) webpage. Source: [Maryland Department of Natural Resources](https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2026/10/29/board-of-public-works-approves-21-million-for-2027-rural-legacy-grant-awards-4-6-million-for-park-upgrades-and-land-conservation-in-nine-counties/)